Patent · US Expired

Color image forming apparatus and method using plural photosensitive drums

US5870659A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
6References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 3, 1997
Grant dateFeb 9, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 3, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G15/0194
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus, three or more (four in this case) cylindrical photosensitive members 1 to 4 on which latent images are formed and developed through use of toner to thereby produce toner images, are arranged so as to share a tangential line in common, and a cylindrical intermediate transfer member 51 is provided. Alternatively, a first unit containing one or more image carriers is positioned next to a first transfer member and a second unit containing one or more image carriers is positioned next to a second transfer member such that there is reflectional symmetry between the first and second units and the transfer members.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.